Senator Justice as Governor Submitted the Original Funding Proposal to Modernize West Virginia’s Broadband Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jim Justice released a statement highlighting a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant awarded to the State of West Virginia for broadband infrastructure:
“We’ve made huge strides in bringing high-quality broadband access to West Virginia, and getting our communities connected to high-speed internet means everything. When I was Governor, I made sure West Virginia was in the best position possible to receive this funding so that we could keep modernizing our broadband infrastructure. This funding is an absolute gamechanger and will cover thousands of locations throughout the state, fostering new opportunities, jobs, education, and investment. This doesn’t get done without the Trump Administration, the NTIA approving West Virginia’s final proposal, great partners like Senator Capito, and the countless state and federal stakeholders who made this possible. This historic investment in broadband technology and infrastructure will have a tremendous impact on West Virginia,” said Senator Jim Justice.
BACKGROUND:
- Senator Justice as Governor started the initial proposal to land federal funding for West Virginia’s broadband infrastructure.
- Senator Capito and Senator Justice as Governor worked closely together to ensure the West Virginia would receive the maximum amount possible upon original submission for these funds.
- A recent report highlights the successes of broadband expansion during his time as Governor.
- Access to cable or fiber infrastructure has grown by 245% since 2019
- Download speeds have increased by 83% since 2022
- Upload speeds have increased by 37% since 2022
- West Virginia leads the US in internet growth since 2023
- The state is in the top six most improved since 2017
- The BEAD Program provides resources to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.
- The program, which was created through IIJA, is a federal grant program that aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure where we need it and to increase adoption of high-speed internet.
- BEAD prioritizes unserved locations that have no internet access or that only have access under 25/3 Mbps and underserved locations only have access under 100/20 Mbps.